Italy - Ponte di Rialto 里奧多橋

 

Stamp Issue : 2007-03-16 

Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto) is one of the three bridges that spans the Grand Canal and one of the most ancient bridge in the Renaissance style in Venice, Italy.
Built in 1181, the bridge was originally a pontoon bridge, then rebuilt into a wooden bridge in 1225. As it had been burned and collapsed before, it requires special care and maintenance. Numerous proposals were made to have the bridge rebuild in stone since 1503. It wasn't until 1588 that the reconstruction of the bridge was finally started. Antonio da Ponte, the architect designed and converted the bridge into a single arch stone bridge which was finally completed in 1591.
With two inclined ramps, full of shops and stalls on both sides, covered by a portico, unique in its shape, the bridge has a 28.80 meters main span, is 48 meters long, 22.90 meters wide, 7.32 meters high and becomes a representative piece of Venice architecture.
The bridge has three walkways: two along the outer balustrades, and a wider central walkway leading between two rows of small shops and stalls. It has become the most visited tourist attractions of Venice.

里奧多橋是義大利威尼斯3座橫跨大運河的橋梁之一，也是其中最古老的一座，屬於文藝復興風格。
橋梁始建於1181年，原是一座浮橋，後於1225年改建為木橋。因為它曾經燒毀及倒塌，需要特殊的照顧和維護。自1503年起不斷有改建為石橋的提議，但至1588年才正式動工。由安東尼‧龐特設計改建為單拱石橋，終於在1591年完成。
隨著兩個傾斜坡道，覆蓋著門廊，造型特殊，橋梁主跨28.80公尺，是48公尺長，22.90公尺寬，7.32公尺高，里奧多橋成為威尼斯建築的代表之一。
這座橋有三個通道：兩通道沿著欄杆外，中間是寬闊的行人道，商店與攤位充斥里奧多橋的兩側。是威尼斯一個主要的旅遊景點。